Eyewear with detachable lens portion

ABSTRACT

An element of eyewear with a detachable lens portion comprising a first eyewear portion comprising a lens portion, a second eyewear portion comprising a frame portion, at least one projection that extends from the lens portion, and at least one aperture in the frame portion whereby the lens portion can be removably and replacably coupled with the frame portion. The at least one projection can be formed of resiliently compressible material. A plurality of projections can extend from the first eyewear portion, and a plurality of aligned apertures can be provided in a bridge segment of the frame portion. The projections can be longer than the bridge segment is thick such that distal ends of the projections will contact the forehead of the wearer to space the bridge segment therefrom. The element of eyewear can be an eye shield with a panel of translucent material comprising the lens portion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein relates generally to eyewear. Stated moreparticularly, the present patent discloses and protects an element ofeyewear with a readily removable and replaceable lens portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In 1987, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC)published “Recommendations for Prevention of HIV Transmission inHealth-Care Settings” where the CDC recommended that blood and bodyfluid precautions be used for all patients regardless of their knownbloodborne infection status. Under these recommended precautions, bloodand certain body fluids of all patients are considered potentiallyinfectious for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus(HBV), and other bloodborne pathogens. As such, the CDC's precautionsare commonly referred to as Universal Precautions in that they arepracticed at all times for all patients and in all situations in whichexposure to blood or potentially infectious materials may occur.Universal Precautions were mandated into standards in 1991 by theOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Among the required precautions is that medical personnel and laboratoryworkers must wear eye shields to prevent blood and other bodily fluidsfrom reaching their eyes through splattering, splashing, oraerosolization. To be completely effective, an eye shield must protectthe wearers eyes and, if desired, nose and mouth. The eye shield shoulddo so without regard to the direction in which the wearer faces.

Similar needs for eye and face protection exist in other fields ofendeavor. For example, when painting or applying other liquid coatingsto a surface by rolling, brushing, spraying or the like, material canspatter and drip onto the person's eyes and face. Such spattering anddripping can be particularly problematic where the surface to be coatedis above the person applying the material. For a number of reasonsincluding safety, comfort, and convenience during cleanup, practitionerscommonly seek to prevent such spattering and dripping.

As one would expect in light of the foregoing, the prior art discloses awide variety of eye and face shields. However, even when combined, theeye and face shields of the prior art have left room for significantimprovements in structure, function, convenience, and comfort. Forexample, many eye shields make it difficult or uncomfortable for thewearer to wear eyeglasses simultaneously with the shield. Furthermore,many shields fail to provide absolute protection to the wearer fromdroplets or the like that might go over or around a panel-type shield.This is particularly true of many shields that attempt to accommodatethe wearing of eyeglasses since they must be spaced from the wearer'sface and forehead. On a similar note, one will be aware that most if notall shields do not allow the wearer to adjust the distance of the lensor shield portion from the wearer's face. With this, such shields cannotreadily accommodate wearer's with different needs, preferences, orbodily configurations.

Even further, one knowledgeable in the art will be aware that most eyeshields are retained on a wearer's head by a resilient band or the likethat encircles the wearers head. Although effective for securing theshield in place, such bands are disadvantageous in that they can beuncomfortable for many wearers. The bands are also disadvantageous inthat they tend to compress wearer's hairstyles thereby leaving aband-shaped depression in the wearer's hair. Still further, aside fromprocuring an entirely new shield structure, shields of the prior art donot allow a wearer to vary the lens portion of the shield with regard toits length, thickness, and other characteristics. Many shields of theprior art are disadvantageous for the further reason that they do notallow a wearer to replace all exposed portions of a contaminated shieldreadily and conveniently.

In light of the foregoing, it becomes clear that there is an appreciableneed for an element of eyewear, such as an eye shield, that wouldprovide a solution to one or more of the abovedescribed deficienciesfrom which prior art devices have suffered. It is still more clear thatan eye shield providing a solution to each of the needs left by theprior art while providing a number of heretofore unrealized advantagesthereover would represent a marked advance in the art and would in alllikelihood perform advantageously relative to eyewear even beyondprotective shields.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Advantageously, the present invention is founded on the broadly statedobject of providing an element of eyewear that solves each of thedeficiencies that the prior art has been unable to solve while supplyinga number of even further advantages thereover.

Stated more particularly, a fundamental object of the invention is toprovide an element of eyewear that can provide a wearer with unqualifiedprotection from airborne debris and contaminants. Still more particularobjects of the invention include preventing debris and contaminants fromreaching portions of a wearer's face, such as the wearer's eyes, nose,and mouth, including from directly in front of the wearer, from besidethe wearer, and from above the wearer's eyes.

A related object of the invention is to provide an element of eyewearthat can provide an opaque shield for a wearer's eyes from light fromabove.

Another basic object of the invention is to provide an element ofeyewear with a lens or shield portion that can be controlled with regardto its distance from a wearer's face and forehead to accommodate thewearing of eyeglasses, different wearer preferences, and differentfacial structures.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an element ofeyewear that can be securely retained relative to a wearer's headwithout a need for entirely surrounding the wearer's head with a band orthe like.

An even further object of the invention is to provide an element ofeyewear that can absorb perspiration from a wearers brow thereby toprevent that perspiration from reaching the wearers eyes and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an element of eyewearthat enables a wearer to change the length, thickness, angle, tint, andfurther characteristics of the lens or shield portion of the eyewearwithout a need for procuring an entirely new element of eyewear.

These and further objects and advantages of the invention will bereadily obvious not only to one who has reviewed the presentspecification and drawings but also to one who has had an opportunity tomake use of an embodiment of the present invention for an element ofeyewear.

In carrying forth these objects, a most basic embodiment of the presentinvention for an element of eyewear is founded on a first eyewearportion and a second eyewear portion. At least one projection extendsfrom the first eyewear portion, and at least one aperture is disposed inthe second eyewear portion. The first eyewear portion can comprise alens portion, and the second eyewear portion can comprise a frameportion. Alternatively, the eyewear portions could be disposedoppositely such that the projection would extend from the second eyewearportion, which again could comprise a frame portion, and the aperturecould be disposed in the first eyewear portion, which again couldcomprise a lens portion.

Under even this basic arrangement, the first eyewear portion can beremovably and replacably coupled with the second eyewear portion by aninsertion of the projection of the first eyewear portion into theaperture in the second eyewear portion. With this, a damaged orcontaminated lens portion can be removed from the frame portion and canbe replaced by a new or cleaned lens portion without a need forreplacing the frame portion. Furthermore, a wearer can replace a lensportion of a given type with a different lens portion of another type orproperty, such as a different size, material, tint, or othercharacteristic.

Preferably, the projection from the first eyewear portion will have atleast one cross-sectional dimension that is greater than a correspondingcross-sectional dimension of the at least on aperture in the secondeyewear portion. For example, the preferred projection will be wider,taller, or wider and taller than the aperture. With this, the projectionwill be frictionally retained in the at least one aperture. Of course,this could be accomplished in a number of ways. One preferred way is toform the projection partly or entirely from resiliently compressiblematerial, such as resiliently compressible foam or the like.Alternatively, the projection could be mechanically compressible such asby being formed by first and second longitudinally coupled members witha resiliently compressible member, such as a spring, interposedtherebetween.

The eyewear certainly could accomplish the foregoing with just a singleprojection from the first eyewear portion and a single aperture in thesecond eyewear portion. In such a case, the projection could be anelongate strip of, for example, resiliently compressible foam, and theaperture could be of corresponding size and shape. Alternatively, therecould be a plurality of projections and a plurality of aperturescorresponding in size, shape, and relative location such that they aredisposed to align with the plurality of apertures. With this, theplurality of projections can be received into the plurality of aperturesto project therethrough.

In preferred embodiments, the frame portion of the eyewear can have abridge segment for being disposed adjacent to a forehead of a wearer. Insuch a case, the plurality of apertures can be disposed in the bridgesegment, and the projection or projections can extend from adjacent toan upper edge of the lens portion. Under certain embodiments, theprojection or projections can extend from an elongate body portion ofresiliently compressible material that is affixed to and extends acrossan inner surface of the lens portion.

With this, the distal end or ends of the projection or the plurality ofprojections can pass through the apertures and beyond an inner surfaceof the bridge segment to contact the forehead of the wearer and tomaintain the inner surface of the bridge segment spaced from theforehead of the wearer. Advantageously, the projection or projectionsand possibly the body portion of resiliently compressible material cancooperate with the bridge segment to prevent debris and other airbornecontaminants from reaching a wearers eyes. The body portion ofresiliently compressible material and the projection or projections thatextend therefrom simultaneously can cooperate to shield the wearer'seyes from light from above. Even further, the resiliently compressibleprojection or projections can absorb perspiration from the wearer's browthereby to prevent that perspiration from reaching the wearer's face,particularly his or her eyes.

One can exploit this arrangement to adjust or control the distancebetween the forehead of the wearer and the lens portion of the eyewearby adjusting or controlling the length of the projection or projections.Alternatively or additionally, the distance between the forehead or browof the wearer and the lens portion can be controlled by an adjustment ofthe thickness of the body portion of resiliently compressible material.With this, a wearer desiring to maintain the lens portion moresignificantly spaced from his or her face to allow, for example, thewearing of eyeglasses under the lens portion can employ projections ofincreased length or a body portion of increased thickness. The length ofthe projections and the thickness of the body portion can also be usedto accommodate wearers with different physical structures andpreference.

In one preferred embodiment, the projections can be formed in multiplesections that are detachably coupled such as along lateral, perforatedscore lines. Under this arrangement, no, one, or multiple sections canbe torn away from the remainder of the projection to alter the length ofthe projection. By doing so, the wearer will control the amount that thebody portion of the projection projects beyond the inner surface of thebridge segment and thus the distance that the lens portion is maintainedfrom his or her face.

It is, of course, important to note that the eyewear could assume anumber of forms and could be used for a number of purposes. For example,eyewear according to the present invention could be designed and usedfor general casual wear. Furthermore, embodiments of the invention couldbe designed for sports use. Even further still, elements of eyewearembodying the present invention could incorporate shield-type lensportions such that they could be used to great advantage in medicalsituations to comply with Universal Precaution Guidelines and inpainting, spraying, welding, and other situations where ones eyes mustbe shielded or otherwise protected. In such a case, the lens portiontypically would take the form of a panel of transparent material, whichcould, for example, be flat or arcuate.

Even further advantage can be realized by forming the frame portion ofthe eyewear with first and second arms with first and second armsfixedly or hingedly coupled to the bridge segment for being disposed toopposite sides of a head of a wearer. Under such a construction, theeyewear can be retained relative to the head of the wearer by contact ofthe distal end of the projection or projections with the forehead of thewearer and by contact of the arms with the sides of the head of thewearer. With this, the eyewear could be securely retained without a needfor any portion thereof resting on the bridge of the wearer's nose andwithout a need for a band or the like surrounding the wearer's head.

One will appreciate that the foregoing discussion broadly outlines themore important features of the invention to enable a betterunderstanding of the detailed description that follows and to instill abetter appreciation of the inventor's contribution to the art. Before anembodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it must be madeclear that the following details of construction, descriptions ofgeometry, and illustrations of inventive concepts are mere examples ofthe many possible manifestations of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of an embodiment of the presentinvention for an element of eyewear with a detachable lens portion beingworn by a person;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lens portion of the element of eyewearof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a frame portion of the element ofeyewear of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the lensportion of the element of eyewear;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of another alternative embodiment of the lensportion of the element of eyewear;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the element of eyewear with the lensportion coupled to the frame portion;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a projection from the lensportion;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the lensportion according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the frameportion according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a partially sectioned view in side elevation of analternative embodiment of the projection from the lens portion; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of theelement of eyewear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As is the case with many inventions, the present invention for anelement of eyewear with a detachable lens portion is subject to a widevariety of embodiments. However, to ensure that one skilled in the artwill be able to understand and, in appropriate cases, practice thepresent invention, certain preferred embodiments of the broaderinvention revealed herein are described below and shown in theaccompanying drawing figures.

Looking more particularly to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention for an element of eyewear with a detachable lensportion is indicated generally at 10 in FIG. 1 where the element ofeyewear 10 is disposed on a wearer's head 100. There, one sees that theelement of eyewear 10 is founded on a lens portion 12 that is removablyand replacably coupled to a frame portion 14 as will be discussed morefully hereinbelow. In this embodiment, the lens portion 12 is in theform of a partial shield for protecting a wearer's eyes during, forexample, medical procedures, painting tasks, sporting endeavors, and anyother circumstance where a shielding of the eyes is necessary ordesirable.

The shield or lens portion 12 is shown apart from the frame portion 14in FIG. 2. There, one sees that the lens portion 12 is founded on apanel 16 of translucent, typically transparent, material. Of course, oneskilled in the art would be well aware of many materials that could beemployed to form the panel 16. One presently preferred material ispolyester. Where necessary or desirable, the panel 16 could be tinted toshield the wearer's eyes form the sun or other sources of light.Furthermore, the material for the panel 16 could be selected to meetANSI or other standards for impact or the like. For example, the panel16 could be formed as a molded polycarbonate shield. In any case, thepanel 16 could be formed or machined for aiding in a wearer's vision.More typically, however, the panel 16 will be optically clear such thatit will not aid or interfere with the wearer's vision.

As FIG. 1 shows most clearly, the panel 16 is arcuate such that it wrapsaround a wearer's face from temple to temple. The panel 16 has what maybe termed a lower edge that is cut along an arcuate line such that ithas a broadest portion below the wearer's eyes and such that itterminates at first and second ends 20 and 22 adjacent to the wearer'stemples. One will also note that the panel 16 has an arch portion 24removed from a central portion thereof for providing clearance for thewearer's nose 104. With this, as will be discussed below, the element ofeyewear 10 can be worn by a wearer without a need for contacting thewearer's nose as is commonly required with many types of eyewearaccording to the prior art.

As one can see from FIG. 2, a plurality of projections 18 extend from aninner surface of the panel 16. Each projection 18 has a proximal end, adistal end, and a body portion. In this exemplary embodiment, there arefour projections 18. However, it will be clear that the number ofprojections 18 is, in many respects, of little consequence to theutility of the present invention. As a result and as will be shown anddiscussed more fully below, there could be as few as one projection 18as is shown in the top plan view of FIG. 5 and many more than fourprojections 18 from the inner surface of the lens portion 12 as is shownin the top plan views of FIGS. 4 and 6. In the embodiment of FIG. 2where a plurality of projections 18 are provided, each projection 18can, for example, have a generally rectangular cross section. Each ofthe projections 18 can taper slightly toward its distal end.

Preferably, the projections 18 will be resiliently compressible. Thiscan be accomplished through material selection, by construction, orboth. One skilled in the art will appreciate that, where the projections18 are resiliently compressible through material selection, theprojections 18 could be formed partially or completely from a widevariety of materials. For example, the projections 18 could be formedfrom natural or synthetic sponge, from rubber, or from any otherresiliently compressible material. The projections 18 could be solid,hollow, and/or foamed. The projections 18 can be molded, die cut,formed, or otherwise crafted.

As FIG. 3 shows, the frame portion 14 in this embodiment is formed by abridge segment 26 that is coupled at a first end to a first leg 28 andat a second end to a second leg 30. The bridge segment 26 could bestraight or it could be curved as is shown, for example, in FIGS. 1 and3. In this embodiment, the first and second legs 28 and 30 are formedintegrally with the bridge segment 26 such that they cannot pivotrelative thereto. As will be discussed below, however, the first andsecond legs 28 and 30 could be hingedly coupled to the bridge segment 26such that the element of eyewear 10 could be folded into a compactconfiguration. Like the panel and the projections 18, the frame portion14 could be formed from a wide variety of materials that would readilyoccur to one skilled in the art. Preferably, the frame portion 14 willprovide sufficient rigidity, will be light in weight, and willdemonstrate good memory characteristics. One presently preferredmaterial is polycarbonate.

A plurality of apertures 32 are disposed in the bridge segment 26. Ofcourse, the plurality of apertures 32 in the bridge portion preferablywill correspond in number, location, shape, and orientation to theplurality of projections 18 from the inner surface of the lens portion12. Each projection 18 can then be received in and pass through itscorresponding aperture 32 as is shown in FIG. 6. Advantageously, as FIG.6 also shows, the projections 18 and the lens and frame portions 12 and14 in general can be formed such that, when the projections 18 are fullyreceived into and through the apertures 32, the distal portions of theprojections 18 will touch or nearly touch. With this, the projections 18and the bridge segment 26 will cooperate to prevent light, debris, andsplattered contaminants from reaching the wearer's eyes from above.

Ideally, each of the plurality of apertures 32 will be slightly smallerin cross section than its corresponding projection 18. With this, byvirtue of their resilient compressibility, the projections 18 will tendto be retained frictionally within the apertures 32. As a result, thelens portion 12 will be secured relative to the frame portion 14. As onewill also appreciate, however, the lens portion 12 and the frame portion14 can be readily separated simply by pulling the projections 18 fromwithin the apertures 32.

As one can perceive by combined reference to FIGS. 1 and 6 the distalends of the projections 18 under this arrangement will contact thewearer's forehead 102. The inner surface of the bridge segment 26 willbe maintained spaced away from the wearer's forehead 102 by roughly thedistance that the body portions of the plurality of projections 18project beyond the inner surface of the bridge segment 26.

Advantageously, therefore, a wearer can select from among lens portions12 with projections 18 having a length designed to accommodate thewearer's preferences or requirements. For example, a wearer who mustwear eyeglasses (not shown) can choose a lens portion 12 with relativelylong projections 18 such that the bridge portion 26 and thus the panel16 will be maintained sufficiently distant from the wearer's head thateyeglasses can be worn under the element of eyewear 10. Furthermore,wearer's with different facial characteristics and dimensions can selectprojections 18 with appropriate lengths to suit their particularrequirements.

The embodiment of FIG. 7 shows that the projection 18 or projections 18can extend from a body portion 46 of resiliently compressible material.Under such a construction, the distance that is maintained between thewearer's face and the panel 16 can be adjusted by controlling thethickness of the body portion 46, which may be done in addition to or asan alternative to adjusting the length of the projection 18 orprojections 18. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the body portion 46 isformed of resiliently compressible material. The body portion 46 isaffixed to the inner surface of the panel 16, and the projection orprojections 18 extend from the body portion 46.

Although the frictional contact between the projections 18 and theapertures 32 certainly could serve to retain the lens portion 12 in asufficiently secure manner relative to the frame portion, a secondarycoupling means could be employed to ensure that the projections 18 donot inadvertently slide from within the apertures 32. Of course, such asecondary coupling means could take many different forms.

In FIGS. 1-3 and 5, the secondary coupling means comprises short rods 34with bulbous ends 36 that project from proximal end portions of each ofthe legs 28 and 30 at the temple area of the frame portion 14 incooperation with correspondingly sized fastening apertures 38 locatedadjacent to each of the ends 20 and 22 of the panel 16. With this, thewearer can pop the bulbous ends 36 of the rods 34 through the apertures38 thereby to fix the lens portion 12 relative to the frame portion 14still more securely.

An alternative embodiment of the lens portion 12 is shown in FIG. 4.There, the lens portion 12 is again founded on an arcuate panel 16.Also, a plurality of projections 18 again extend from the inner surfaceof the panel 16 for engaging corresponding apertures 32 in the bridgesegment 26 of the frame portion 14. In demonstration of the fact thatthe number of projections 18 and apertures 32 is of little practicalconsequence, this embodiment has six projections 18. Of course, anappropriately crafted frame portion 14 (not shown) would have apertures32 corresponding to the projections 18 in size, shape, location, andnumber.

Under this preferred construction, the projections 18 are againgenerally rectangular in cross section. Each of the projections 18 has anarrowed neck portion 42 adjacent to its proximal end and a taperedportion 44 adjacent to its distal end. The tapered portion 44 allows theprojections 18 to be pressed through the apertures 32 more easily. Thenarrowed neck portions 42 can be disposed generally even with theapertures 32 in the bridge segment 26 thereby to provide widenedportions of the projections 18 to either side of the bridge segment 26and to secure the lens portion 12 relative to the frame portion 14 mosteffectively.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the secondary coupling meansfor further fastening the lens portion 12 to the frame portion 14 couldtake a variety of forms in addition to that shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5.For example, as FIG. 4 shows, the secondary coupling means couldcomprise a hook and loop combination with a first component 40, in thiscase hooks, of the combination disposed adjacent to the first and secondends 20 and 22 of the arcuate panel 16 and a second component of thecombination (i.e. loops, which are not shown) disposed adjacent to theproximal ends of the first and second legs 28 and 30 of the frameportion 14. Numerous other secondary coupling means are certainlypossible including buttons 52 as shown in FIG. 8, double-sided tape,clips, and still other means.

Another alternative embodiment of the lens portion 12 is shown in FIG.5. The lens portion 12 again includes an arcuate panel 16. In thisembodiment, however, just one projection 18, which can be formed fromresiliently compressible foam, extends from the inner surface of thepanel 16. The projection 18 traverses nearly the entire length of thepanel 16. The corresponding frame portion 14 of FIG. 9 has a singleaperture 32 that traverses substantially the entire bridge segment 26.The projection 18 again has a narrowed neck portion 42 adjacent to itsproximal end for better securing the projection 18 within the aperture32.

In FIG. 9, upper and lower rods 34 with bulbous end portions 36 projectfrom proximal ends of the first and second legs 28 and 30 of the frameportion 14 for better securing the frame portion 14 to a correspondinglens portion 12 such as that shown in FIGS. 2 and 8. With this, a wearercan choose whether to pop the upper or lower rod 34 and bulbous end 36into the fastening aperture 38 whereby the wearer can adjust the angleat which the panel 16 is disposed relative to his or her head.Alternatively, although it is not explicitly shown, one will appreciatethat the same advantage could be accomplished by providing upper andlower fastening apertures 38. It should also be appreciated that the rodor rods 34 and bulbous end or ends 36 and the fastening aperture orapertures 38 could be oppositely disposed such that the fasteningaperture or apertures 38 would be disposed on the frame portion 14 andthe rod or rods 34 and the bulbous end or ends 36 would project from thelens portion 12.

As was noted previously, the ability to control the distance between thepanel 16 and a wearer's face can be desirable for a number of reasons,including to accommodate eyeglasses and wearer's facial structures. Thiscertainly can be done by choosing from among lens portions 12 with aprojection 18 or projections 18 of varying lengths and/or by controllingthe thickness of a body portion 46. However, potentially greateradvantage can be had by forming each projection 18 so that its lengthcan be adjusted by the wearer. With this, just a single type ofprojection 18 could be sold or otherwise distributed, and a user canadjust the length of the projection 18 as necessary.

Of course, this could be done in a number of ways. One presentlypreferred way is depicted in FIG. 7. There, the projection 18 is formedin multiple sections 18A, 18B, and 18C that are detachably coupled alonglateral lines 48 and 50. The sections 18A, 18B, and 18C could of coursebe detachably joined in a number of ways. In this case, the laterallines 48 and 50 joining the sections 18A, 18B, and 18C are perforatedscore lines in the resiliently compressible material that forms theprojection 18. With this, none, one, or both of sections 18A and 18B canbe torn away from the remainder of the projection 18. By doing so, thewearer will control the amount that the body portion of the projection18 projects beyond the inner surface of the bridge segment 26 and thusthe distance that the panel 16 is maintained from his or her face.

One will appreciate that the shape and length of the panel 16 shown, forexample, in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be varied widely within the scope of thepresent invention depending on the needs and goals of the wearer.Although the relatively abbreviated panel 16 certainly could be usefulin a number of uses, other applications may require a longer ordifferently shaped panel for protecting the wearer's eyes, nose, mouth,and face in general. For example, the lens portion 12 shown in FIG. 8,although again arcuate, is based on a generally rectangular panel 16that would be sufficiently long for having its upper edge disposed abovethe wearer's eyes and its lower edge disposed somewhat below thewearer's chin thereby providing full facial protection. The embodimentof FIG. 8 also varies in that the secondary coupling means comprisesbutton components 52 disposed adjacent to the first and second ends 20and 22 of the panel 16. One will further note that the lens portion 12has a single projection 18 that extends from a body portion 46 ofresiliently compressible material.

Forming the projections 18 from resiliently compressible materialcertainly may be preferred. It should be appreciated, however, thatother constructions would be well within the scope of the presentinvention. For example, as FIG. 10 shows, the projection 18 could bemade to be resiliently compressible by mechanical means. In this case,the projection 18 is made to be resiliently compressible by a firstmember 54 that is longitudinally coupled to a second member 56 with oneor more resiliently compressible members, such as springs, interposedtherebetween.

The present invention for an element of eyewear 10 has been shownprimarily in the form of a shield with a single panel 16 such as wouldbe used for eye protection during medical procedures, painting, andnumerous other tasks where eye and face protection against airbornematter is necessary. It must be clear, however, that the element ofeyewear 10 could take numerous other forms. For example, the element ofeyewear 10 could take the form of a standard pair of eyeglasses orsunglasses as is shown in FIG. 11. There, the element of eyewear 10incorporates first and second lens portions 12A and 12B that eachinclude a panel 16 of translucent material.

The panels 16 can be tinted and, additionally or alternatively, formedor ground to improve the wearer's eyesight. Each panel 16 has aplurality of projections 18 that extend from adjacent to the upper edgethereof for engaging the bridge segment 26 of the frame portion 14. Asis commonly the case with prior art eyeglasses and sunglasses, the firstand second legs 28 and 30 in this embodiment are hingedly coupled to thebridge segment 26 so that the element of eyewear 10 can be folded into acompact configuration.

With a plurality of preferred embodiments of the invention disclosed, itwill be appreciated by one skilled in the art that numerous changes andadditions could be made thereto without deviating from the spirit orscope of the invention. This is particularly true when one bears in mindthat the presently preferred embodiments merely exemplify the broaderinvention revealed herein.

Accordingly, it will be clear that those with major features of theinvention in mind could craft embodiments that incorporate those majorfeatures while not incorporating all of the features included in thepreferred embodiments. Therefore, the following claims are intended todefine the scope of protection to be afforded the inventors. Thoseclaims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions insofar asthey do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It must be further noted that a plurality of the following claims mayexpress certain elements as means for performing a specific function, attimes without the recital of structure or material. As the law demands,these claims shall be construed to cover not only the correspondingstructure and material expressly described in this specification butalso equivalents thereof.

I claim as deserving the protection of Letters Patent:
 1. An element ofeyewear with a detachable lens portion, the element of eyewearcomprising: a first eyewear portion; a second eyewear portion; at leastone projection that extends from the first eyewear portion wherein theat least one projection has a proximal end, a distal end, and a bodyportion with a given length; and at least one aperture in the secondeyewear portion; whereby the first eyewear portion can be removably andreplacably coupled with the second eyewear portion by an insertion ofthe at least one projection of the first eyewear portion into the atleast one aperture in the second eyewear portion.
 2. The element ofeyewear of claim 1 wherein the at least one projection of the firsteyewear portion has at least one cross-sectional dimension that isgreater than a corresponding cross-sectional dimension of the at leaston aperture in the second eyewear portion whereby the at least oneprojection can be frictionally retained in the at least one aperture. 3.The element of eyewear of claim 2 wherein the at least one projection isresiliently compressible.
 4. The element of eyewear of claim 3 whereinat least a portion of the at least one projection is formed fromresiliently compressible material.
 5. The element of eyewear of claim 4wherein a plurality of projections are spaced along and extend from abody portion of resiliently compressible material that is affixed to thefirst eyewear portion, wherein there are a plurality of apertures in thesecond eyewear portion, and wherein the plurality of projections aredisposed to align with the plurality of apertures whereby the pluralityof projections can be received into the plurality of apertures toproject therethrough.
 6. The element of eyewear of claim 5 wherein thefirst eyewear portion comprises a lens portion and wherein the secondeyewear portion comprises a frame portion.
 7. The element of eyewear ofclaim 6 wherein the frame portion has a bridge segment for beingdisposed adjacent to a forehead of a wearer and wherein the plurality ofapertures are disposed in the bridge segment.
 8. The element of eyewearof claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of projections has a lengthgreater than a corresponding thickness of the bridge segment of theframe portion whereby the distal ends of each of the plurality ofprojections can pass beyond an inner surface of the bridge segment tocontact the forehead of the wearer.
 9. The element of eyewear of claim 1wherein the first eyewear portion comprises a lens portion and whereinthe second eyewear portion comprises a frame portion.
 10. The element ofeyewear of claim 9 wherein the frame portion has a bridge segment forbeing disposed adjacent to a forehead of a wearer and wherein the atleast one aperture is disposed in the bridge segment.
 11. The element ofeyewear of claim 10 wherein the element of eyewear comprises an eyeshield and wherein the first eyewear portion comprises a panel oftranslucent lens material.
 12. The element of eyewear of claim 11wherein the at least one projection has a length greater than athickness of the bridge segment of the frame portion whereby the distalend of the at least one projection can pass beyond an inner surface ofthe bridge segment to contact the forehead of the wearer.
 13. Theelement of eyewear of claim 12 wherein the frame portion furthercomprises first and second arms coupled to the bridge segment for beingdisposed to opposite sides of a head of a wearer whereby the element ofeyewear can be retained relative to the head of the wearer by contact ofthe distal end of the at least one projection with the forehead of thewearer and by contact of the arms with the sides of the head of thewearer.
 14. The element of eyewear of claim 13 wherein the at least oneprojection comprises a member of resiliently compressible material. 15.The element of eyewear of claim 14 wherein the at least one projectionextends from an elongate body portion of resiliently compressiblematerial that is affixed to and extends across an inner surface of theeye shield.
 16. The element of eyewear of claim 15 wherein there are aplurality of projections that extend from the first eyewear portion,wherein there are a plurality of apertures in the second eyewearportion, and wherein the plurality of projections are disposed to alignwith the plurality of apertures whereby the plurality of projections canbe received into the plurality of apertures to project therethrough. 17.The element of eyewear of claim 1 wherein the body portion of the atleast one projection is formed in multiple, detachably coupled sectionswhereby the length of the body portion can be altered by detaching oneor more of the sections of the at least one projection.
 18. The elementof eyewear of claim 17 wherein the sections of the at least oneprojection are coupled along lateral lines.
 19. The element of eyewearof claim 18 wherein the at least one projection is formed fromresiliently compressible material and wherein the lateral lines comprisescore lines in the resiliently compressible material.
 20. An eye shieldwith a detachable shield portion, the eye shield comprising: a shieldportion comprising a panel of translucent material with an inner surfaceand an outer surface; a frame portion comprising a bridge segment forbeing disposed adjacent to a forehead of a wearer; at least oneprojection that extends from the inner surface of the shield portionwherein the at least one projection has a proximal end, a distal end,and a body portion with a given length; and at least one aperture in thebridge segment of the frame portion; whereby the first eyewear portioncan be removably and replacably coupled with the second eyewear portionby an insertion of the at least one projection of the first eyewearportion into the at least one aperture in the second eyewear portion.21. The eye shield of claim 20 wherein the at least one projection isresiliently compressible has at least one cross-sectional dimension thatis greater than a corresponding cross-sectional dimension of the atleast on aperture in the bridge segment of the frame portion whereby theat least one projection can be frictionally retained in the at least oneaperture.
 22. The eye shield of claim 21 wherein at least a portion ofthe at least one projection is formed from resiliently compressiblematerial.
 23. The eye shield of claim 20 wherein a plurality ofprojections are spaced along and extend from a body portion ofresiliently compressible material that is affixed to the shield portion,wherein there are a plurality of apertures in the bridge segment of theframe portion, and wherein the plurality of projections are disposed toalign with the plurality of apertures whereby the plurality ofprojections can be received into the plurality of apertures to projecttherethrough.
 24. The eye shield of claim 23 wherein the plurality ofprojections have a length greater than a thickness of the bridge segmentof the frame portion whereby the distal ends of the plurality ofprojections can pass beyond an inner surface of the bridge segment tocontact the forehead of the wearer.
 25. The eye shield of claim 20wherein the at least one projection has a length greater than athickness of the bridge segment of the frame portion whereby the distalend of the at least one projection can pass beyond an inner surface ofthe bridge segment to contact the forehead of the wearer.
 26. The eyeshield of claim 25 wherein the frame portion further comprises first andsecond arms coupled to the bridge segment for being disposed to oppositesides of a head of a wearer whereby the element of eyewear can beretained relative to the head of the wearer by contact of the distal endof the at least one projection with the forehead of the wearer and bycontact of the arms with the sides of the head of the wearer.
 27. Theeye shield of claim 26 wherein the at least one projection comprises amember of resiliently compressible material.
 28. The eye shield of claim27 wherein the at least one projection extends from an elongate bodyportion of resiliently compressible material that is affixed to andextends across an inner surface of the shield portion.
 29. The eyeshield of claim 28 wherein there are a plurality of projections thatextend from the shield portion, wherein there are a plurality ofapertures in the second eyewear portion, and wherein the plurality ofprojections are disposed to align with the plurality of apertureswhereby the plurality of projections can be received into the pluralityof apertures to project therethrough.
 30. The eye shield of claim 20wherein the body portion of the at least one projection is formed inmultiple, detachably coupled sections whereby the length of the bodyportion can be altered by detaching one or more of the sections of theat least one projection.